Sequential Shift Lights: Although the 420R is fitted with a shift light (the single LED you can see between the dials) it only illuminates at maximum revs so is of limited use.
I ordered the sequential shift lights from Caterham, these are made by ACES but with Caterham branding and consist of a dash mounted display unit and a control unit. The light on the left is a green ‘low rev’ light and the five to the right are 3 amber and 2 red that light up in sequence and indicate when to change up without having to look at the rev counter. I’ll programme this correctly once the engine is run in and tuned up.
Fitting the unit was quite difficult mostly due to limited access behind the dash which is stuffed full of wiring. I knew that the wiring loom was pre-wired for the shift lights so it was just a matter of finding the right connectors. This is where the iPhone camera comes in handy by sticking it up behind the dash and taking random pictures to see what is there.
After rummaging around and unclipping a few cable ties I found three connectors tied together, these are the live, earth and tacho feed I needed for the control unit.
The control unit wiring needed shortening and new connectors soldered into place but once this was done it was a relatively easy job to fit the control unit under the dash.
To fit the display unit I had to drill a 25mm hole in the dash to allowed the shielded terminal to pass through. This was a little nerve-wracking knowing the mass of wiring underneath and also required removal of the windscreen! The hole is sealed with the grommet that was pre-fitted to the cable. I used a couple of strips of dual-lock tape to fix the unit to the dash.
More dual-lock tape was used to fix the control unit which is tucked up out of the way by the steering column.
Steering Wheel: I have the quick release steering column that allows for easy removal of the steering wheel (I’ll have to take it with me if I park up in a public place). The column is in two parts that slide over each other to allow it to collapse in the unfortunate event of a collision. The lower part runs from the universal joint on the steering rack through the tunnel firewall to thread into the steering column tube that runs from the dash to the scuttle. The upper part threads down through the steering column tube to fit over the lower part. Both parts are held together with a clamp. A bush at the top and bottom of the steering column tube keep everything nice and tight.
Team420RBuild 